Farmer points out that agencies today compared to only ten years ago are doing twice the work for half the money.

Now, the response from many agency heads has been understandably to tighten their belts.

While that makes sense, I have another suggestion.

Instead of cutting your training budgets, you should double them.

The only thing that will save agencies is their unique ability for creative ideas.

And that requires an investment in people, especially young people.

So don't ask them to work harder, ask them to work less.

Subscribe
to Contagious and The Gunn Report, where they will be able to see the
latest great work to inspire them. And make them read up.

Send them to festivals like Adfest where they can learn, be inspired and also get to know some really clever people.

Immerse them in excellence.

Run training courses.

And don't cut your award entries, increase them.

All
of this will not just send a signal about doing great work that gets a
stronger ROI for clients, it will equip your people with the skills and
motivation to apply their talent to the benefit of everyone.

The
latest study from the IPA shows that creatively awarded work is six
times more effective at building market share . Six times!

Festivals like Adfest have plenty of this. We should use the competitive nature of award shows to raise our own standards.

So
find the time to review the work that will help you take a fresh look
at your own creative problems. A few that have been showcased in the
seminars here include Axe 'Find Your Magic', the Bank of Aland 'Carbon
Footprint Index', DB Export Beer Bottle Sand Machine, YMCA Playnasium
and Campbell's Soup Tube.

Look them up, and look at the work that has just won a Lotus.

It's
not easy to sell or buy highly creative work, because as a Cornell
study showed those are the ideas that stimulate the part of our brain
that induces poison, vomit and agony. Hat tip to Paul Kemp-Robertson for
that one.

It may not be easy but it will be worth it.

In
any case, I have yet to read a study that shows the downfall of a
company was due to investing in training and personal development.